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‘Everything will be fine’: Iranian player poses at Brisbane waterfront as captain flies home

Matthew Knott - March 16, 2026

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One of the two remaining Iranian soccer players in Australia has uploaded a smiling social media photo in Brisbane declaring that “everything will be fine”, as the number of team members seeking asylum rapidly diminishes.

Team captain Zahra Ghanbari became the latest player to abandon an asylum claim in Australia on Sunday, sparking fears the players’ relatives are being threatened with retaliation by the Tehran regime.

Five members of the Iranian delegation have now abandoned their asylum claims, and members of the diaspora in Australia have expressed concerns the remaining two players will follow.

One of those players, Fatemeh Pasandideh, posted a photo from the Brisbane waterfront on Instagram on Monday afternoon with a peace sign emoji and the caption “everything will be fine”.

Pasandideh, 21, posed for the photo alongside Jill Ellis, FIFA’s head of football.

Five members of the delegation sought asylum late last Monday, followed by two others on Tuesday evening.

Iranian player Mohaddeseh Zolfi, 21, contacted Iranian officials on Wednesday morning and asked to be collected from a safe house soon after Burke announced she had sought asylum in Australia.

Three more members of the delegation changed their minds and decided to return to Iran on Saturday night, followed on Sunday by captain Ghanbari, who is joining her fellow players in Malaysia.

Ghanbari, 34, is Iran’s top female goalscorer at a national level. She is Kurdish and grew up in Kangavar, the largest Kurdish-populated city in Iran.

The Iranian regime has leapt upon the reversals as a propaganda victory as it fights against Israel and the United States in a war that has entered its third week.

Shiva Amini, a former Iranian soccer player, said in a post on X that “the Iranian Football Federation, working with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard IRGC, has placed intense and systematic pressure on the players’ families in Iran”.

“They have even targeted the family of Zahra Ghanbari,” Amini said.

“Despite the fact that she has just lost her father, authorities are putting pressure on her mother. This shows the level of cruelty and desperation they are willing to use to force these athletes to comply.”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Sunday that the players who had decided to return to Iran were given repeated chances to talk about their options.

“While the Australian government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,” he said.

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The Tasnim News Agency, an outlet with close links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the players had “rejected Australia’s seductive and political offer of asylum”, branding it a “patriotic decision”.

It earlier called the players’ decision to leave Australia a “disgraceful failure of the American-Australian project and another failure for Trump”.

“The national spirit and patriotism of the Iranian women’s national football team girls defeated the enemy’s plans against this team,” the news agency said.

Tina Kordrostami, an Iranian-Australian community leader, said she feared the regime would use threats to convince the remaining players in Australia to return to Iran.

“I am not too hopeful. I have real concerns,” she said on Sunday.

Kordrostami said she and other diaspora activists believed technical staffer Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar – one of the three women who left the country on Saturday night – played an important role in convincing the players to change their minds.

Kordrostami said she believed Meshkehkar was a regime infiltrator, although this claim has not been verified.

“She is a mother figure – they look up to her,” she said.

Sara Rafiee, a human rights activist who campaigned for the players to be given the right to stay in Australia, said she held similar fears.

“While the full circumstances remain unclear, many within the community are concerned that significant pressure may have been exerted on the players, potentially including pressure conveyed through an individual described as ‘support staff’ who reportedly sought asylum in Australia,” she said.

“Some community members fear that this person may have been used by the regime to influence the players from within the group and pressure them to return.”

The Iranian-Australian community has acknowledged the players faced an impossible situation as they weighed up whether to return to possible persecution or risk exposing their families to retaliation and financial harm.

A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said all members of the delegation who received asylum were “thoroughly vetted” and it had not been established that Meshkehkar was an infiltrator.

A member of the Iranian soccer team told protesters in Malaysia they weren’t scared about going home and that officials had promised them rewards when they return.

In the video, translated by members of the diaspora, the player said they were promised “rewards” by officials and told that they would be treated well upon their return, like princesses or queens.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/iranian-women-s-soccer-captain-rejects-asylum-amid-claims-of-family-threats-20260316-p5oarm.html

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/group-photo-of-iran-football-team-unwise-as-asylum-rejected-liberals-warn/news-story/f3424c16de45f0cc2a88ebdc0bbe3a83

https://x.com/Shiva_amini_11/status/2033179303177863410

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-8D7tt8auM

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>>24359209

Dire strait: No ships for Trump’s mission from Australia’s shrinking fleet

Matthew Knott - March 16, 2026

Australia will not send a warship to the Middle East as US President Donald Trump demands neighbouring countries join a naval coalition to give oil tankers safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The government ruling out the possibility of sending any naval assets to the Middle East has focused attention on the navy’s shrinking fleet of warships, which will number just nine surface combatants by the end of the year, down from 11 two years ago.

HMAS Arunta, the oldest of the navy’s seven remaining Anzac-class frigates, is expected to be decommissioned this year, and will not be replaced by a Japanese-made Mogami-class frigate until 2029.

Two in three naval vessels are typically out of action for maintenance or preparations, meaning the navy could have just two available frigates at any one time when HMAS Arunta retires.

Transport Minister Catherine King said Australia had not received a request from the US to send a warship to the Strait of Hormuz, where 20 per cent of the world’s oil trade passes through, and would not send one if asked.

“We’ve been very clear about what our contribution is in relation to our requests, and so far that is to the [United Arab Emirates], obviously providing aircraft to assist with defence, particularly given the number of Australians that are in that area in particular,” Transport Minister Catherine King told ABC radio on Monday.

“But we won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is. That’s not something that we’ve been asked or we’re contributing.”

This masthead reported on Sunday that the government was not keen to send any warships to the Middle East as it is focused on the Indo-Pacific region.

Defence experts also pointed out that Australia would struggle to send a vessel.

“Ideally, we should be able to support our allies on such a mission, but we simply don’t have enough ships,” Jennifer Parker, an adjunct fellow in naval studies at UNSW, said.

Over the weekend, Trump named China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain among the countries he would like to see send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to make it easier for oil tankers to pass through the crucial waterway.

Transit through the strait has collapsed since the US-Israel war against Iran began following attacks from Iranian drones and missiles, fuelling a massive surge in global oil prices.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump singled out the UK for threats if it fails to contribute to his coalition, saying: “We will remember.”

Moving on to countries in the Gulf, he said: “We need – really, I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory.

“It is their territory. It’s the place from which they get their energy. And they should come and they should help us protect it.”

Trump’s call for a naval coalition has so far received a tepid response.

While Britain is considering his request, China has not responded and Japan has indicated it is unlikely to send any warships to the region.

“We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on Monday.

Trump called on NATO countries to do “whatever it takes” to help the US military operation in Iran, warning of dire consequences for the alliance if he is rebuffed.

“If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” he told the Financial Times.

He said in the interview he could delay his long-awaited trip to China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled for March 31, if China does not help reopen the flow of tankers through the strait.

The Coalition attacked the government’s decision not to send a warship to the Red Sea in 2023 to help protect shipping routes from attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen, but has offered the government room to decline any US request with bipartisan backing.

“If a formal request is made by the United States, it would need to be assessed against our national interests, including their ability to safely operate in a highly contested strategic environment,” opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said.

“Australia’s primary focus remains the Indo-Pacific.”

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/dire-strait-no-ships-for-trump-s-mission-from-australia-s-shrinking-fleet-20260316-p5oaxj.html

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Australian expat was Chinese spy asset, jury finds

Miklos Bolza - March 13, 2026

An Australian businessman recklessly compiled reports for individuals whom he should have suspected were Chinese spies, a jury has found.

Alexander Csergo, 59, was running a business in Shanghai when he was approached on LinkedIn in November 2021 by a woman claiming to be from a Chinese think tank.

His decision to then prepare fake, plagiarised reports for two individuals only known as Ken and Evelyn was enough for a NSW District Court jury on Friday to find him guilty of one count of reckless foreign interference.

He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years behind bars.

But the IT consultant will get at least one more weekend of relative freedom after prosecutors relented on a request to immediately detain him.

The 59-year-old should have suspected Ken and Evelyn were working for China’s Ministry of State Security, the jury found.

The former Waverley College athletics captain and holder of a bachelor’s degree in science began working in China in 2002 after time at Telstra and Hyatt International.

He went on to work with a large American ad agency, led a data analytics infrastructure build for Shanghai Volkswagen and later helped develop systems for China Telecom and French advertiser JCDecaux.

After being approached in November 2021, Csergo used open-source information to compile reports on a variety of topics including mining, politics, defence and security.

He falsely claimed he had interviewed a number of individuals, including former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

The reports were handed to Ken or Evelyn in person – sometimes at restaurants and cafes devoid of other people – in exchange for envelopes containing the equivalent of thousands of dollars in cash.

Despite this information being worthless, the jury found Csergo guilty after being told by crown prosecutors the relationship with him and his contacts was valuable.

Ken also handed the 59-year-old a “shopping list” of sensitive topics to research when he returned to Australia in early 2023.

This document was found by domestic spies and police when they raided his Bondi home in eastern Sydney in March that year.

Csergo was the second person charged by the federal police’s Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce since new laws came into effect in 2018.

In her closing submissions to the jury, crown prosecutor Jennifer Single said trust increased between Csergo and his two handlers, shown by cash payments rising from the equivalent of about $1000 to more than $6000.

After the guilty verdict, Single applied to detain Csergo again.

But it was resisted by the businessman’s barrister.

Because of the complexities of the matter and the timing, Judge Craig Smith continued Csergo’s bail until a full hearing could be held on Monday morning.

The Crown consented on the condition Csergo report to police twice a day over the weekend.

Csergo declined to comment to reporters as he left court on Friday afternoon.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/australian-expat-was-chinese-spy-asset-jury-finds-20260313-p5oaag.html

https://www.9news.com.au/national/jury-finds-expat-businessman-was-chinese-spy-asset/484f8830-4085-425e-995e-6a79031d478c

>>24386734

Alexander Csergo who sold reports to Chinese spies jailed after guilty verdict

RHIANNON LEWIN - 16 March 2026

A Sydney-born businessman who was found guilty of reckless foreign interference after he sold reports to Chinese spies has been taken into custody ahead of sentencing.

Alexander Csergo acted as a source for two spies believed to have worked for China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).

A District Court jury in Sydney last Friday found that Csergo was reckless as to whether his conduct would support the intelligence activity of a foreign principal.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.

Csergo remained on bail over the weekend; however, on Monday he was taken into custody after Judge Craig Smith SC allowed a detention application by Crown prosecutor Jennifer Single SC.

“Ultimately, I am of the view that it is realistically inevitable that a period of jail will be imposed … I do not accept that there are exceptional circumstances,” he said.

“My formal orders are that the detention application is allowed.”

Among the Crown’s submissions, Ms Single told the court that this was a very serious example of this type of offending.

“Particularly in light of the length of offending … so, a 16-month period … the extent of the interactions between the offender and Ken and Evelyn … so it wasn’t just one report being reckless,” she said.

Ms Single also said Csergo himself admitted in an interview that from very early on he had suspicions he was dealing with MSS.

“So not even just an aspect of the Chinese Communist Party … or an aspect of the government, from the very beginning he had suspicions that it was the MSS he was dealing with,” she said.

However, Csergo’s barrister Iain Todd said the time already spent in custody must be taken into account.

“The time spent in custody by the offender … and the manner in which it was spent, that is that there were 12 months in solitary confinement and then even post-dating that, the manner of the bail conditions were significant and a substantive factor when it comes to whatever sentence your honour is to impose,” he said.

“And because this is relatively new legislation … we have no real parity arguments that we can run.”

Judge Smith rejected Mr Todd’s submission and found it was inevitable that a further period of full time jail will be imposed.

“I consider it realistically inevitable that the sentence to be imposed here would involve an effective non parole period that goes beyond that period of time Mr Csergo has spent in jail to date … even accepting the very onerous way in which he has served that period of time in custody,” he said.

Guilty verdict

During trial, the jury heard that while living in Shanghai, Csergo prepared reports for two people who were introduced to him as “Ken” and “Evelyn” from a Chinese think tank.

The 59-year-old was living and running a business in Shanghai in November 2021 when someone claiming to be from the think tank with clients from a state-owned Chinese company approached him on LinkedIn, asking if he wanted to do paid part-time consultancy work.

The Crown case was that Csergo intentionally engaged in reckless conduct that began after November 18, 2021, when he was first contacted on LinkedIn.

He was then later introduced to “Ken” and “Evelyn”, whom he met in empty cafes and restaurants and asked him to prepare reports on lithium, defence, the Quad alliance, AUKUS and iron ore.

While preparing the reports, Csergo approached colleagues for information as well as reaching out to former prime minister Kevin Rudd. Mr Rudd isn’t accused of any wrongdoing.

The Crown said Csergo knew the questions he was asking in order to prepare the reports included sensitive information.

On one occasion, Csergo suggested a meeting on the street in order for him to receive a cash payment from “Evelyn” of about 20,000 RMB (A$4200) in what the Crown described as “clearly a covert act”.

However, his defence argued that while he received money for preparing the reports, he only supplied open source information and not state secrets.

Csergo said the documents did not reveal any information about national security or “secret information”.

He was arrested in April 2023 after returning to Sydney from Shanghai on March 3, 2023, intending to stay in Australia for three months.

Csergo will next appear in court on March 20.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/alexander-csergo-who-sold-reports-to-chinese-spies-jailed-after-guilty-verdict/news-story/169a260218b08d3248843327d5d8bb76

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x5jOtZ5Z8I

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ABF holds secret China talks as tobacco giant slams Australia’s black market failure

MOHAMMAD ALFARES - March 15, 2026

A Border Force chief has held ­secret talks with Chinese ­tobacco regulators in Beijing about the illicit trade gripping Australia.

Deputy ABF Commissioner Tim Fitzgerald travelled to Beijing this week to meet officials from China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration.

Chinese state media said Mr Fitzgerald held “friendly talks” on Monday with deputy director Liu Sanjiang, alongside officials from the agency’s “monopoly supervision and e-cigarette regulatory” departments.

It is thought to be the third visit Mr Fitzgerald has made to China in 18 months, while Chinese tobacco officials have also travelled to Australia several times.

It is unclear whether any agreements were reached or whether the latest meeting will have any impact on Australia’s lucrative illicit market.

The ABF was approached for comment but did not respond.

Toxic Chinese-made vapes, particularly the Alibarbar brand, have swamped the market in the past year. The brand has been ­exploited by Middle Eastern and Chinese organised crime gangs that are known to use threats and extortion to facilitate a global distribution network.

Double Happiness cigarettes, also manufactured in China, are among the most popular illicit brands available.

The meeting comes as one of the world’s biggest tobacco companies called on Anthony Albanese to intervene, warning Australia has climbed to the “top of the podium” for illicit tobacco.

British American Tobacco chief corporate officer Kingsley Wheaton said Australia was now so overwhelmed by black-market cigarettes and vapes that legitimate companies were ­effectively locked out of the transition to so-called “smokeless” alternatives.

“Australia is now the blackest of the black tobacco markets in the world,” Mr Wheaton said. “Last year we were probably talking about it just reaching the podium. Now Australia is at the top of that podium.”

His intervention comes as crime groups battle for control of the tobacco trade following the arrest of Iraqi kingpin Kazem Hamad, known as “Kaz”.

Hamad was detained in Iraq in mid-January after running a global tobacco and drug empire from Baghdad following his deportation from Australia in 2023.

Since his arrest, police across Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia have been grappling with a surge of violence linked to the black market trade, including more than a dozen arson attacks, two shootings and a violent assault.

Mr Wheaton said the criminality was the predictable result of government policy that had pushed smokers into the black market. “Two in every three cigarettes in the country is illicit,” he said. “If you fast-forward the projections that are out there, maybe 80 per cent of the cigarette market will be illicit within a year from now. This is out of control.”

Australia’s aggressive tobacco tax regime, celebrated by Labor as a global public health success, has instead “backfired spectacularly”, Mr Wheaton said.

Federal tobacco excise revenue has collapsed from about $17bn a year to roughly $6.5bn and could soon fall to about $5.5bn. “That’s at least a $10bn excise hole,” he said. “I think that’s a scandal because it could be avoided.”

A pack of illicit cigarettes can sell for about $10, compared with $40 for legal brands.

“When you’re faced with that retail environment, I don’t think you can expect consumers to see two markets – a legitimate one and an illegitimate one,” he said. “It’s fairly simple economics.”

Mr Wheaton said responsibility for fixing the crisis sat with the Prime Minister.

“I think this is something that is on the Prime Minister,” he said.

“He has to take it very seriously, but as of yet it doesn’t seem he cares. Unless the leadership has the will to see the problem, diagnose the problem and make the bold, courageous decisions to do something about it, this will only get worse.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/abf-holds-secret-china-talks-as-tobacco-giant-slams-australias-black-market-failure/news-story/17283c6aa629b5b0d815d907f425bffc

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‘Error of judgment’: Swans admit to script change before pre-game Bondi tribute

Jon Pierik and Jonathan Drennan - March 16, 2026

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Sydney have admitted to changing the script of a pre-game tribute to victims of the Bondi terror attack to remove reference to the Jewish community, and say the AFL was not involved in the decision.

The Swans said their intention was to use “inclusive language” that recognised the impact the attack had on members of the Jewish community, other heroes and first responders in the ceremony before the March 5 season-opener against Carlton at the SCG.

Sydney chief executive Matthew Pavlich led a moving tribute to victims in front of families and first responders before the game, but the Jewish community was not referenced during the ceremony.

“As we mentioned on Saturday night, in statements from both our chairman and CEO, we were made aware that our on-field tribute neglected to specifically name the Jewish community. We apologised for this omission and have taken full responsibility for it,” Sydney’s statement said.

“The tribute was a heartfelt attempt to show compassion to everyone impacted by the terrible events on 14 December, and most of all the Jewish community.

“There was no directive or instruction from the AFL to remove or change the reference to the Jewish community in the script.

“That script change was made within our club in a genuine effort to use inclusive language by referring to the whole community.

“We acknowledge that was an error of judgment, and again we apologise.”

Pavlich reiterated the club’s apology at a press conference on Monday. He took full responsibility as chief executive, given he ultimately gave the speech.

“It went through many different edits and in the end, I saw the speech, obviously gave it and so I take responsibility for that,” he said.

“The focus of last week’s Bondi tribute was to honour those impacted by the tragedy and to stand with the Jewish community as we did in December and continue to do so. Whilst we didn’t specifically reference the Jewish community in the script, this was in the context of those people that were on the field with us that evening, which included many of the brave first responders, community heroes, and of course, those impacted the most, the Jewish community. And it was through that lens in which we finalised the words spoken.

“We apologised on Saturday night for this, and we do so again today. To be very clear, there was no directive from the AFL to remove reference to the Jewish community in the script and we’ve never suggested this was the case.”

After being asked if it was a group decision to remove specific reference to the Jewish community, Pavlich said: “I own it, as a CEO, that’s on me, I take full responsibility. We were workshopping it, clearly and as I said, it was about trying to be as inclusive as we could for many people affected as of the tragedy of 14 December.

“But, clearly, because we’re here today (at Monday’s press conference), that’s an oversight that we got wrong and we own that.”

Earlier on Monday, federal Liberal senator James Paterson confirmed he wrote to former High Court judge Virginia Bell, who is leading the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, calling for the AFL to explain the error.

On Monday evening he told this masthead that the Swans’ admission was “further evidence of deeply ingrained cultural problems in our sporting institutions that must be probed thoroughly by the royal commission”.

“It is incredibly disappointing to learn that someone at an AFL club believes it was ‘inclusive’ to remove all references to Jews in a script about the antisemitic Bondi terror attack, whose victims were overwhelmingly Jewish,” he said.

(continued)

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Paterson had earlier accused the AFL of insulting Jewish victims of the attack.

“It is not an accident that the attack at Bondi occurred at a Jewish community event marking the first night of Chanukah nor that the overwhelming majority of victims were Jewish,” Paterson said.

“Erasing their Jewish identity, as it appears the AFL has sought to do, is a travesty and an insult to the families of the victims.

“A key task for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is to understand why so many of our institutions and leaders failed to understand and address growing antisemitism in our society prior to Bondi. It is incredibly disappointing that even after Bondi, influential institutions like the AFL are still clearly failing.”

In his letter, Paterson called on Bell to request that the AFL “preserve all documents and communications, including correspondence with the Sydney Swans”.

“It would be unfortunate if answers cannot be provided as to who ordered the removal of any references to the Jewish community or why they did so because documents were not retained by the AFL,” he said.

Bondi hero Ahmed Al Ahmed and Rabbi Mendy Litzman from Hatzolah, a Jewish community emergency medical response group, were at the SCG for the ceremony.

In a series of radio interviews on Saturday, AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said he did not know what had happened to the script.

Later that day, Swans chairman Andrew Pridham and Pavlich apologised and took full responsibility for the omission.

The AFL was contacted for comment on Monday.

Litzman told this masthead the Swans had made the Jewish community emergency medical response group feel welcome.

“I want to thank the Swans for welcoming us in and making us feel really welcome and special. We had survivors there as well [at the game] and we had those children there as well that were affected by it and some children that no longer have parents,” he said.

“They [the Swans] were extremely welcoming and so very, very nice to us, and we thank them from the bottom of our heart, and it meant a lot to us and to everybody … they treated us like VIPs, and it was very nice to welcome us into the locker room after the game as well.

“We only had praise for the Swans, so what they did was definitely above and beyond what we expected. They provided kosher food, and they literally went above and beyond.”

Litzman deflected any questions about the specific wording of the script.

“I don’t really have anything [to say] to be honest. We only have praise for the Swans, I’m not getting involved in what was said and what wasn’t said,” he said.

“We didn’t feel any of that on the day. We felt very loved and welcomed and grateful.”

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-referred-to-antisemitism-royal-commission-over-swans-pre-game-tribute-20260316-p5oaxi.html

>>24354950

>>24386759

AFL referred to Royal Commission over removal of Jewish community references from Bondi tribute

Michael Warner - March 16, 2026

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The Sydney Swans have confessed to removing references to the “Jewish community” from a pre-match tribute honouring victims of the Bondi terrorist attack - and insist they did so without any direction from the AFL.

The Herald Sun revealed on Monday that the league had been referred by Victorian federal Senator James Paterson for investigation by the Royal Commission into anti-Semitism.

Embattled AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon failed to explain during a series of weekend interviews how a speech delivered by Sydney CEO Matthew Pavlich before the Opening Round Swans-Carlton match at the SCG had failed to mention the Jewish community.

“I don’t know what happened with the script,” Dillon told 3AW on Saturday.

But footy great Gerard Healy revealed that “the script was changed” in a bid to de-politicise the tribute.

On Monday afternoon the Swans released a statement taking responsibility for the omission.

“There was no directive or instruction from the AFL to remove or change the reference to the Jewish community in the script,” the Swans said.

“That script change was made within our club in a genuine effort to use inclusive language by referring to the ‘whole community’.

“Noting that the focus of the script was to recognise those people present on field on the night. This included members of the Jewish community, community heroes and first responders.

“We acknowledge that was an error of judgement and again we apologise.”

The move to delete the reference incensed members of the Jewish community and prompted Mr Paterson to refer the league to the Royal Commission on anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion.

In a letter to former High Court judge Virginia Bell, who is leading the commission, Mr Paterson said he encouraged her to “urgently request the AFL to preserve all documents and communications, including any correspondence with the Sydney Swans and any internal communications within the AFL, in relation to this matter”.

“It would be unfortunate if answers cannot be provided as to who ordered the removal of any references to the Jewish community or why they did so because documents were not retained by the AFL,” Mr Paterson said.

“Counsel-Assisting (the Royal Commission) must have the opportunity to review the documents and cross-examine any potential witnesses to establish the facts in relation to this serious incident.

“While the Sydney Swans chairman (Andrew Pridham) has apologised to the Jewish community, the reported involvement of AFL staff in this incident should be closely examined as part of the Commission’s inquiries into the nature and prevalence of anti-Semitism in Australia.”

(continued)

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Mr Paterson added: “At a time where anti-Semitism has reached unprecedented levels in Australia, excuses and deflections are not good enough.

“It is particularly concerning that someone at the AFL apparently believes that acknowledging that the victims of Bondi were Jewish is a ‘political’ act, and is certainly not consistent with the AFL’s enthusiastic past embrace of contentious political causes, like the Voice referendum.

“It is not an accident that the attack at Bondi occurred at a Jewish community event marking the first night of Chanukah nor that the overwhelming majority of victims were Jewish.

“Erasing their Jewish identity, as it appears the AFL has sought to do, is a travesty and an insult to the families of the victims.

“A key task for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is to understand why so many of our institutions and leaders failed to understand and address growing anti-Semitism in our society prior to Bondi.

“It is incredibly disappointing that even after Bondi, influential institutions like the AFL are still clearly failing.”

In their statement on Monday, the Swans added: “The Sydney Swans initiated a pre-game Bondi Tribute to honour the lives lost in the terror attack and to stand with the Jewish Community.”

“As we mentioned on Saturday night, in statements from both our Chairman and CEO, we were made aware that our on-field tribute neglected to specifically name the Jewish community.

“We apologised for this omission and have taken full responsibility for it.

The tribute was a heartfelt attempt to show compassion to everyone impacted by the terrible events on 14 December, and most of all the Jewish community.

“As we stated the day after the attack, our football club stands with the Jewish community.”

It is the second time in days that the AFL has been accused of playing politics after it was revealed the league told state Liberal leader Jess Wilson to remove an Instagram post calling out CFMEU corruption.

Wilson had posted a 30-second video from the MCG outer during last week’s Collingwood-St Kilda clash lamenting the number of meat pies that could have been purchased with the $15 billion allegedly stolen from taxpayers in CFMEU rorts.

The AFL’s government relations manager Bec Smith contacted Ms Wilson’s office late last week requesting that she take down the post because it included two seconds of match footage in violation of league copyright rules.

Ms Smith, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his time as Opposition Leader, reports directly to AFL corporate affairs executive general manager Sharon McCrohan, an ex-ALP and CFMEU spin doctor.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-referred-to-royal-commission-over-removal-of-jewish-community-references-from-bondi-tribute/news-story/b6aa9fca26c7ac142e9050daecd800be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUNX5g1gcZs